Broken Heart
by Gemini Star01
Summary: T.K.'s found unconcious in the Digital World...But no one knows why. As he explores the mysteries in his own head, does a silver bracelet show why things are as they are?


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I never seam to understand why all of this shows up. But last night I got this idea, so here it is. Inspired partly by the Manga version of Sailor Moon Super S (The ones where the Scouts are talking about their dreams) **WARNING:** This fic does revolve around Takari. If you are a Dakari fan, I suggest you leave. Now.

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Disclaimer: Like I've said before, I don't own Digimon. If I ever do, you will know because: A) 02 will return to the air, B) there will be a new season with the original DigiDestined, and C) Takari will be an official couple. I don't care how many Daikari sites there are (when I look for Takari, I get a lot of stuff for Japanese fast food…)

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Broken Heart

The snow fell gently on the windowsill outside. Kari brushed her hair back, then let it fall back to her shoulders. It was almost Christmas, one week to go. Winter break had started, and the fourteen-year-old was content.

The was a ring from the hall. "I'll get it!" she called, stepping out into the corridor. She picked the phone off the hook and put it to her ear. "Hello, Kamiya Residence."

"Kari?" a worried voice came over the phone. "It's Nancy Takaishai."

"Ms. Takaishai?" Kari confirmed. "What's wrong?"

"Is T.K. there?"

"What…" Kari was taken aback. "T.K.? No, he's not here." The woman on the other end choked out a sob. "Ms. Takaishai, is something the matter?"

"He never came home last night." the woman sobbed. "I already called Matt and everyone else I can think of. No one's heard a word from him. I'm afraid something awful has happened…"

"Now just calm down!" Kari soothed through the phone. "I'll call the others and organize a search party. Don't you worry, we'll find him."

"Thank you, Kari." Nancy sniffed. "Thank you so much."

~ * ~ * ~

But two days later, the whole search party was starting to give up. They'd scoured the city, posted a few milk-carton-like ads, and filed a missing persons case with the police, but no sign of him. Patamon, Matt, Mr. Ishida, and Mrs. Takaishai were all getting desperate with worry. So when Yolei found a new signal through the DigiPort, the five younger DigiDestined entered the area for one last search.

"He's got to be around here somewhere." Gatomon said. It was her, Patamon and Kari, in a miniature search group inside the area. They'd been looking for an hour, but still almost nothing.

Patamon sighed. He was flying alongside Kari's head, looking this way and that for any scent, any note, any sound that would lead them to his partner, but to no avail. Kari reached up and scratched the little thing in that special place behind the ear that calms all pets and even Digimon down.

There was a beep and all three stopped dead. Kari picked up her D-3. A single signal flashed on the screen, thirty six meters to the right and five up. They stopped still for a moment and watched it. It didn't move.

"It could be T.K.!" Patamon cried excitedly.

"Come on!" Kari ran to the right and slightly up, following the dot as it grew closer and closer…

Sixteen feet to the right, Kari stopped. Gatomon and Patamon slide to a halt. "What's wrong?" Gatomon demanded. "Where is he?"

Kari turned from side to side, trying to track the signal. "There!" she said confidently, pointing into a cave. "He's in there!"

"T.K.!" Patamon called, diving into the cave.

"Patamon, wait up!" Gatomon shouted, and the two girls plunged after him.

They found T.K. twenty meters into the cave. His knees were pulled up tight, locked in place only because his feet were lodged in the sandy bottom of the cave. His arms looked like they had been holding his legs up, but he'd fallen asleep. His head rested on his knees, so that he was curled up in a ball.

"T.K.!" Kari called, running to the sleeping boy. "You had us all so worried!"

She shook him. He didn't move. The smiles faded from all three faces. "T.K.?" Patamon asked.

Kari grabbed the boy by the shoulders and shook him as hard as she could. His head rolled back so they could see the silent, stone-like face. When she released he fell to the side and lay still.

"Oh god…" Kari whispered, bringing her hands to her mouth. She grabbed for the communication feature on the D-3 and cried into it.

"Guys! Guys, hurry! I've found T.K.! We have to get him to the hospital!"

~ * ~ * ~

"How is he, Joe?" Nancy asked, rubbing her hands together.

The intern sighed. Usually it was the full doctor's job to report a patient's condition, but since he knew T.K. personally they'd told him to do it.

"He's in a coma." he reported. "But otherwise he has no physical injuries or sickness…"

The group in the waiting room consisted of Kari, Nancy, Matt, Tai and Sora. When the ambulance came to pick T.K. up and hour before, Kari had been able to ride along. Nancy had soon been notified, and Matt had been searching with Tai and Sora when he got the news. The other DigiDestined had not been able to come, but they'd been promised a full report on his condition as soon as possible.

"What happened to him?" Matt asked. "Kari, you said you found him in the DigiWorld, right?"

Kari nodded. "So why's he in a coma, after being missing two days?" Tai asked. "I mean, what could happen to make him like this?"

Joe sighed again, the glanced back at Dr. Mikatano, his instructor. "Go ahead, Kido." said the doctor. "You know that world better than the rest of us. Your theory is as good a guess as any."

"What?" Sora asked, cocking her head.

Joe brushed his bangs out of his eyes. "Most doctors don't even notice this, but T.K.'s been having slight spasms up and down his body." he looked around. No one knew what he was talking about. "For no apparent reason, I've noticed that he gets this shake, just a tremor, that runs from his shoulder to his ankle, like running a magnet over a board of metal pins. It's the same kind of shake you get when you're crying, when you've upset."

"But what does that have to do with anything?" Nancy asked.

"T.K. was found in the Digital World." Joe said simply. "And in the Digital World, a person's feelings can affect the way their body works. From what I can guess, he was upset… very, _very_ upset…about something…anything…and when he went to the Digital World that feeling just took over him."

"And that's why he's like this?" Tai asked questioningly.

"It's my only theory." Joe shrugged. "I guess the best way I can diagnose it is…He's suffering from a broken heart."

~ * ~ * ~

T.K. fell through the water. His eyes could've been opened, but then, they could've been closed, too. He could feel the cold darkness of the water closing in around him, but he didn't care. All he could see was dark. All he could hear…a single voice.

_"Poor little boy. You're all alone."_ it hissed in his ear. _"You know that it's true."_

"You're wrong." came his own voice, deep inside of him, more like a thought than a real voice, because he never said a word with his mouth. "I have…my family…my friends…Patamon…"

_"But love…You've never really had it, have you? Parents split early on, not enough time between them to worry for poor little T.K.…"_

"No…No…It's not true…"

_"But it is…" _the voice was very alluring. _"Mother tried, of course, but working with a newspaper just took up too much time to worry about you…Leaving you at home, all alone…"_

Parts of T.K.'s head screamed at other parts of T.K.'s head. But deep down, his heart gave in to the truth.

"You're right." came his voice, flat and hopeless. He didn't mean to say it, he just did. "I guess…I've always been…lonely. Since my parents divorced…Mom was so busy, she never had time to take care of me…I was always alone…"

~ * ~ * ~

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"Lonely?!" the others seamed shocked. Matt just nodded.

"When he was little, I guess." he muttered with a shrug. "Just after our parents split…I don't think he ever had anyone to play with…"

"But he must have!" Sora insisted. "He's such a sweet kid, he must've had…"

"Wait." Tai had his hand on his chin, deep in thought. "Have we ever actually seen him with other people…others besides the DigiDestined?"

Kari searched her mind. Surely there was something, at school or the park. In the hall once…or what about at the mall that time…the apartment? There'd been others around him, hadn't there?

Hadn't there?

No. No one was ever with him. Why hadn't she seen it before?

~ * ~ * ~

_"No one ever wanted to be around you, did they?"_ the voice hissed in T.K.'s ear. _"Even your brother…In the Digital World. You we just a burden to him…"_

"A…burden…?" T.K.'s eyes opened, but he couldn't move his arms. He could hardly think for himself. He could just listen and agree to these horrible truths.

There was one hope. _"Ah, yes."_ said the voice. _"Miss Kari Kamiya, is that right? Why, I can remember when you first met…"_

The first thing that popped into T.K.'s head was just after Myotismon. But the voice just laughed. _"Of course not, you silly boy." _it said, happy in his confusion. _"I mean this moment…"_

Visions swam before T.K.'s eyes. A flashback. So many years before…

_The five-year-old, blonde-haired boy sat on the swing in Heighten View Terrise. Behind him a group of older boys played a rowdy game of soccer. Near-by, a couple of kids his age spun around on the merry-go-round. But this boy was all alone, staring into his lap and blinking away the tears._

He had no idea what was happening, or why it had happened to his family. All he knew was that his father and brother were gone, and they'd left him there with no sign of coming back. And his mother was working on her laptop from a bench to the side, only keeping a corner of her eye on him as she worked on a newspaper article.

He sniffed and wiped his eye. "Why'd you go away, Matt?" he asked the air. "You said you'd be here. Why'd you go away?"

"Hi."

The boy looked up in surprise. A little girl stood there, a few months older than him. Her eyes and hair were both auburn brown, and she was smiling at him from where she was holding onto the chain of the other swing.

"Why are you crying?" she asked gently.

He wiped his eye. "I-I'm not." he stammered. "I'm fine."

"Then why are your eyes so wet?" she asked.

He sniffed and turned away from her with a huff. Letting a girl see him cry was embarrassing, he knew that from his brother. She frowned at him, then decided to smile. "My name is Kari." she said, sitting on the swing. "What's yours?"

"T.K." he said, drying his eyes. "I'm T.K."

"That's a nice name." she smiled. She pointed to one of the older kids playing soccer. "See that guy over there? That's my brother, Tai. He's really cool."

"Bet he's not as cool as my brother!" T.K. threw back.

"Your brother?" she turned back to him. "Where is he?"

T.K. looked down. "He's not here…" he muttered. "He and Daddy left."

"Oh…I see." she was silent for a moment, then her eyes brightened with and idea. "Come on! Now that there's two, we can play on the teeter-totter!"

She leapt up and pulled him over to the brightly painted teeter-totters. And they had a rather nice time playing together, laughing, joking and talking. Forty-five minutes later, a boy in blue came over from the soccer field.

"Kari!" he called. "It's time to go home!"

"Okay, Tai!" she called back, then turned to T.K. "I'll see you tomorrow, okie?"

T.K., who was no longer feeling so sad, nodded. "Okay then, bye!" he called as the girl and her brother left. "See you tomorrow!"

But T.K. wouldn't have a tomorrow there. That afternoon, he and his mother packed up and moved across the river. After a while he forgot about the little girl with the brown hair and brown eyes, and when he met her again, neither one recognized each other…

"Kari…" T.K. whispered to himself. "When I met her…I finally had a friend. Someone…my own age. That understood how I felt."

_"A friend, eh?"_ the voice hissed. _"Surely she must have been at first. But later… much later…wasn't she more? Isn't she more, little T.K.?"_

"I…" T.K. had trouble admitting it, even to his subconscious, but finally he had to say it. "I…I _love_ her…"

~ * ~ * ~

Kari sighed. She, Sora and Tai felt obligated to stay until visiting time was over, to try and comfort Matt and his family.

T.K.'s jacket was hanging on chair she was sitting on, one he'd been wearing when they'd returned to the Real World. When she leaned back, she felt something hard and square stick into the small of her back. She leaned forward and pulled something out of the jacket's pocket.

It was a square box, lined with dark green velvet, the hinged kind jewelry comes in. Kari knew it wasn't good to pry, but she couldn't help herself. Inside, lying on the dark green pillow, was a beautiful silver bracelet.

Kari knew this bracelet. It was chain-link, but each of the separate links were dazzling stars. It wasn't pure silver, maybe 25%, but it still must've cost at least $85. She'd been eying it through the window at Jackson's Jewelry for months.

There was a note tucked into the back of the box. She pulled it out and scanned her eyes over it. With a sudden burst of memory and ideas, she took in a slow gasp. "Oh no…"

She looked up. "Tai?" she beckoned her brother over. "I think it's my fault."

~ * ~ * ~

T.K. felt the sting, deep in his heart and mind. He started talking to himself again. "She showed me that bracelet last month…" he muttered, and he could hear her voice. The same voice she'd used, leaning towards the window of Jackson's Jewelry, and pulling him down to see it too.

_"Isn't it beautiful, T.K.?" _

"I knew I had to tell her…So I saved up for that bracelet. I saved my allowance every week, and all the extra money I earned. Finally, I had enough…"

_"And the note?"_ that voice asked. _"You poured your whole heart and soul into that note, didn't you?"_

Oh yes. The note. T.K. knew just what he'd written, after about twenty drafts, finally quick and easy, just as he wanted it:

__

Dearest Kari,

With this bracelet, I give my whole heart. Please don't let it break.

I love you.

T.K.

"Ah, yes. You always had that strange way with words." the voice said, although T.K. really felt it'd been a little heavy-handed. _"And you were going to give her that bracelet at the big Christmas Eve party, weren't you? But something stopped you…shall we take a look?"_

T.K.'s eyes filled with tears. "No…" he begged, closing them desperately. "Please no…Not again…I can't watch them again…"

But the memories opened themselves anyway, and forced the boy to watch as they appeared before him:

_T.K. fingered the box in his pocket. It was perfect, the best he could give. She'd been wanting this bracelet a long time. He couldn't wait to give it to her. Only one week more…_

He turned the corner and saw her. She and Davis were talking in a friendly manner as the exited a local shop. He really didn't mind, he thought, as he walked towards them. It wasn't as if they were going out or any-…

He stopped short with a gasp. Davis had casually glance upward and pointed at the small bow of mistletoe hanging from the lamppost. Kari had looked up and smiled slightly in surprise. Davis took her by the shoulders and pressed his lips to hers…

T.K. could feel his already-fragile heart shatter like it was made of blown glass. This wasn't a friendly under-the-mistletoe kiss. Those were simple pecks on the cheek, or tiny little ones between the two. This was longer and harder.

He couldn't take it anymore. Neither had noticed him, so he spun around and ran back the way he had come.

He felt the tears stream down his cheeks, practically freezing there, but he didn't try to wipe them away. His heart panged in that deep, painful way that a heart only throbs if it's filled with unrequited love. Kari and Davis…Kari and Davis…Kari…The last strength he had left for love, the last chance, the last hope…was gone.

He had to get away. Away from them, away from his brother, away from everyone and everything. He had to get out of this world…

The first thought was suicide, but he knew he could never bring himself to it. He came to the conclusion of the Digital World. But he couldn't go home. Patamon was there, he'd stop him.

Halting a moment for breath, he found himself standing in front of the empty school. That was his way. He broke inside, snuck to the computer room, and entered the DigiPort from there.

Once inside, he found he couldn't stop running. He was running form everything. His mother, his brother, his lost love…everything. His lungs and legs burned with exhaustion, but he knew that if he stopped running, it would all catch up to him.

The cave…Cold and dark. Nice and deep. Nothing could find him there.

At the very back, leaning against the wall, he finally stopped. He gasped for a breath a few moment, then slid to the ground. Pulling his knees close and hiding his eyes in them, he let it all out. He cried. He sobbed. He let all the burdens of his heart pour out with the tears.

Slowly, very slowly, the darkness crept up on him, taking over him, consuming him, until soon there would be nothing left…

~ * ~ * ~

"…I could see him out of the corner of my eye…" Kari admitted as she finished her end of the story. "I never thought about it, not until now…It's all my fault…"

The others in the room kept their eyes on her. She wiped her teary eyes on her sleeve guiltily.

Matt glanced over his shoulder at the bed. His mother sat at T.K.'s side, gently caressing her youngest son's head and stroking her fingers through his hair like you'd pet a cat. He'd always suspected his brother had feelings for Kari…but he never thought something like this could happen because of it.

More silence. Finally, Kari took a step forward. "Do you think…he can hear me?"

The four sets of eyes turned to Joe. The intern shrugged. "Perhaps." he admitted. "But only if you were right next to him, like Ms. Takaishai. And even then we can't promise anything."

Kari nodded, then began walking to T.K.'s bedside. "What're you planning, Kari?" Sora asked.

"I'm going to apologize for what he saw." she said, turning back for a moment. "I could never live with myself if I didn't."

"But if you…" Tai tried to put his protest in words. "You can't…you can't lie to him…"

"Davis kissed me." Kari said, the guilty tone crossing her voice again. "And when he was done I told him not to do it again, and he walked me home. That's all." she shifted her weight uneasily. "I don't like _him_ that way."

Matt locked eyes with her and nodded. He went to the other side of the bed and put his arm over his mother's shoulders. "Come on, mom." he whispered. "I think Kari wants to tell him something…"

Nancy was reluctant to leave her son's side, but she gave way after a while. Sora, sensing a tender moment, herded everyone out of the room to get Ms. Takaishai something warm to drink, then shut the door. Kari sat in the chair Nancy had been in. She looked at T.K.'s face. Then she did something she hadn't dared to do before.

She held his hand.

Not just that, but she kissed it. Her lips touched his hand gently, and she let a few tears run down her cheek and onto it. She closed her eyes and talked to him. "T.K…I'm so sorry…" she whispered. "I never meant to hurt you.…"

~ * ~ * ~

"What is that?" T.K.'s head lifted. He could hear a voice, weak, but beautiful. He strained desperately to hear it better. "K-Kari…?"

_"I'm so sorry…I never meant to hurt you…Please wake up. I'll never forgive myself if you don't…"_

T.K.'s feelings slowly came back to him. A comforting warmth spread through his body, replacing the cold. "My hand…She's holding my hand!" he realized excitedly.

Something else. Drips. Water. Small droplets of water, splashing gently on his hand. "Tears…" he realized in shock. "Her tears…She's crying…Is she crying for me? _I_ made _her_ cry?…Does that mean…Does she…She _does…_"

T.K. could feel his heart exploding with joy as a wave of happiness sailed through him. "She loves me!" he gasped to himself, feeling like he could do a back flip. "She loves me! _She loves me!!!_"

He had to get to her. He couldn't stand to let her cry, he had to get to her! Out of his frazzled brain, a single command was sent to the rest of the body: _WAKE UP!!_

~ * ~ * ~

Kari felt the boy squeeze her hand tightly. She gasped in surprise and looked quickly at his face. He was groaning to himself, struggling to open his eyes.

"Tai! Matt! Mrs. Takaishai!" she shouted. "He's waking up!"

With a final groan, T.K.'s eyes opened at the same time as the door. He locked eyes with her and smiled. "Hey Kari." he whispered.

Kari's face slowly spread into a smile. "T.K…You're alright!"

He sat up kinda groggily. "Yeah, I think I'm all in one piece." he grinned. Then he turned to the door and grinned at Nancy. "Hi mom."

Nancy took a step forward, like she could hardly believe what she was seeing. Then she practically launched herself at her son, wrapping him into a huge hug. "Oh, T.K.!" she sobbed. "I was so worried about you!"

"Mom…" he groaned good-naturedly. "I'm fine…"

"You realize, little bro." Matt put in, trying to laugh it off. "That she's not gonna let you out of her sight for a week."

"Make that a month!" Nancy laughed, letting T.K. free before he turned blue.

T.K. looked up at Matt. "What's da matter, Matt?" he asked in a childish voice. "Weren't cha worried about me?" He gave his brother big, sad-looking puppy-dog eyes.

Matt finally gave in with a laugh, gave a hardy "Get over here." and pulled his little brother in a hug.

After almost an hour of hugging and crying, the full doctors finally announced that visiting time was over, and everyone had to leave.

Kari gave T.K. one last hug as she was about to leave, she felt a gentle kiss on the cheek. She pulled away, blushing. But T.K. was grinning, almost sheepishly, and touched her hand.

"Listen…" he whispered fingering the bracelet she put on around on her wrist. "Maybe…after the holidays…if you're not to busy, I mean…would you like to see a movie or something with me?"

She smiled at him as they left. "We'll see, T.K." she whispered, "We'll see."


End file.
